Darkest Hearts
by Mouseling
Summary: Recently Orphaned Leopardkit has always had it hard from the moment she was brought to FoxClan. In the moons that will span her future, carnage and heart break await her and will help shape all four clans destinies.
1. Allegiances

**Allegiances**

**FoxClan**

**Leader: **Ferretstar- A thick furred dusky brown she-cat with amber eyes

Apprentice: Ashpaw

**Deputy:** Skyspirit- A white she-cat with odd eyes.

**Medicine Cat:** Goldenheart- A pale ginger tom with golden eyes.

**Warriors**

Wildheart- A red ginger tom with green eyes.

Fawnspots- A cream she-cat with small brown spots.

Redfire- A bright ginger tom with amber eyes.

Cinderstripe- A pale grey she-cat with blue eyes.

Hawkwing- A dark brown tabby tom with copper eyes.

Apprentice: Blazepaw

Silversoul- A silver tabby she-cat with pale green eyes.

Bluebird- A blue-ish grey she-cat with blue eyes.

**Apprentices**

Blazepaw- A ginger and white tom with amber eyes.

Ashpaw- A gray and white tabby tom with golden eyes.

**Queens**

Rainpool- A pale grey tabby she-cat with green eyes.

(Mother of Frostkit - A white she-cat with green eyes, Duskkit- A dark grey tom with blue eyes and foster mother of Leopardkit- A golden bengal she-cat with green eyes)

**Elders**

Blackfur- A strong black and white tom with amber eyes. Retired early due to a twisted leg.

Stormcloud- A dark brown tabby tom with stormy blue eyes.

**BadgerClan**

**Leader: **Whitestar- A strong built white tom with green eyes

**Deputy:** Lionscar- A tan and white tom with yellow eyes.

Apprentice: Rosepaw

**Medicine Cat:** Deertail- A fawn brown she-cat with blue eyes

**Warriors**

Spiderweb- A black and white she-cat with green eyes.

Snowstorm- A fluffy white she-cat with green eyes.

Wolffang- A big grey tom with amber eyes.

Greyheart- A grey and white tom with amber eyes.

Ambersun- A golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Apprentice: Darkpaw

**Apprentices**

Rosepaw- A pale grey she-cat with a rose pink nose and amber eyes

Darkpaw- A black tom with blue eyes.

**Queens**

Tigerstripe- A dark ginger she-cat with black stripes and amber eyes.

(Mother of Willowkit)

**Elders**

Eagletalon- An old scarred pale brown tabby with blue eyes.

Cloudstorm- A cream she-cat with murky blind eyes.

**WeaselClan**

**Leader:** Emberstar- A small ginger tabby with amber eyes.

**Deputy: **Dawngaze- A cream she-cat with amber eyes.

**Medicine Cat: **Whitewhisker- A white she-cat with black spots on her back.

**Warriors**

Smallstream- A small black she-cat with blue eyes.

Cedarheart- A dark brown tabby tom with green eyes.

Apprentice: Gingerpaw

Windwhistle- A fluffy white tom with dark green eyes.

Applebreeze- A tortoiseshell she-cat with bright amber eyes.

Shadowheart- A dark grey tom with grey-ish blue eyes.

**Apprentices**

Gingerpaw- A ginger she-cat with amber eyes.

**Queens**

Adderstripe- A dark brown she-cat with rotten teeth and amber eyes.

(Mother of Antkit and Redkit)

Riverstrike- A pale grey she-cat with blue eyes.

(Mother of Sootkit, Robinkit and Whitekit)

**Elders**

Patchedfur- A calico she-cat with green eyes.

**RabbitClan**

**Leader:** Fogstar- A grey she-cat with green eyes

**Deputy: **Losteye- A one eyed black tom.

**Medicine Cat: **Crowtalon- A smokey grey she-cat with blue eyes.

**Warriors**

Beetleshine- A lithe black tom with amber eyes.

Volefang- A mousy brown tom with pale amber eyes.

Snakeshiver- A slender brown she-cat with snake-like yellow eyes.

Blackblaze- A black and white tom with dark amber eyes.

Apprentice: Rainpaw

Firestorm- A dark ginger tabby she-cat with pale blue eyes.

**Apprentices**

Rainpaw- A small silver tabby she-cat with misty blue eyes.

**Queens**

Fogstar - Leader

Having Losteye's kits.

**Elders**

Pebblesplash- An old pale brown she-cat with amber eyes.


	2. Prologue

**Prologue**

The moon was clear in the pale grey sky, glowing brightly through the fog of clouds surrounding it. Its silver light illuminated the golden fur of a small kitten sheltering under an ancient oak. Her head rested on her paws, oblivious to the hostile gazes peering out of the shadows at her. A green eyed tom revealed himself as he stepped out from the cover of darkness, basking in the moons glow. His red pelt was rather pale in its light, but his eyes reflected its shimmer like emeralds in the night.

"Wildheart, don't hurt it," his leader warned as she padded up by his side, amber eyes aglow.

Wildheart dipped his head respectfully in response, "I was only looking, Ferretstar. I.. I swear," he replied, flattening his ears in response to her accusation. She flicked her tail in response to quieten him as she watched the sleeping kit. It wasn't yet weaned and Ferretstar doubted that the parents were still around, judging by the stale scent.

Abandoned.. She thought as sympathy flickered in her gaze.

"We'll take it... no her with us," the dusky brown she-cat announced, looking to her companion and he merely blinked in response. Wildheart wouldn't dare question his younger sister's authority. She was his leader before his kin and undoubtedly wiser than the older tom.

Ferretstar dipped her head and grasped hold of the kitten's scuff with her jaws, gently lifting her from off the ground. She was greeted with pitiful angry mewls of protest as the kitten fought to free herself. A purr rose in her throat to soothe the young cat which worked wonders. She was soon hanging limply as the leader and Wildheart padded through their woodland territory to get back to the safety of their camp. Two hollowed out stumps marked the entrance to their camp. Ferretstar could make out the silhouette of the night guard, Hawkwing or so she first thought. He had been the one assigned to guard the entrance. No, the shape was smaller. Golden eyes flickered like flames and the shadows draped over his dark pelt... It was her apprentice, Ashpaw.

She withheld a frustrated sigh. Nothing got by the younger tom, especially not the leader leaving camp in the middle of the night. His gaze rested on the kit she was carrying, interest swirled in their depths. She shot him a glare, telling him to mind his own business. Ashpaw squinted back at her, obviously refusing to move even as Ferretstar passed him. She decided to deal with the grey tom later, for now she had the abandoned kit to deal with.

She approached the nursery, a large den made out of brambles, feeling rather guilty as she heard the soft snoring of Rainpool. Her two kits slept peacefully beside her. It was impossible to awaken the queen without alerting Frostkit and Duskkit in the process. She gently pawed at Rainpool's flank, grimacing when the queen and both her kits awoke with confused gazes.

Ferretstar placed the kit down between her paws, "I'm sorry to disturb you," she apologised, flattening her ears. "Wildheart found this kit while he was out for a walk. That tom can never sleep," she mrrowed half heartedly. "But it seems like she's been abandoned. There was no fresh scent of the parents," she went on to say, looking at Rainpool pleadingly. As irritated as she looked Rainpool nodded, softening her gaze when the golden kit curled up by her side. Duskkit and Frostkit didn't seem at all pleased by their new sibling, instead they cuddled up on the other side of Rainpool, pretending she didn't exist.

Ferretstar whispered a soft '"Thank you" and slipped out of the den so they could get back to sleep. She padded to the center of the camp and gazed up at the moon, almost completely full. In a few days FoxClan would attend another gathering, there she could inquire about the kittens parents. She didn't smell like any of the clans or look like a forest cat. No, the golden kitten was layered with spots, quite like snooty kittypets she had seen before who often spoke about being purebreds. However she didn't share the scent of a kittypet, it was more that of a rogues. Wild, but distinctive.

Thoughts of the strange kitten raced though her mind until she remembered her stubborn apprentice. She sent him back to the apprentices' den which was an overgrown dense bush with a opening before leaving to her tree hollow, the leaders den. She flopped down in her soft mossy nest and fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

His eye flickered open when the sound of squealing kits invaded his dreams. The RabbitClan deputy grunted in annoyance and climbed out of the warriors' den, a small hollow in the earth made a a rabbit or badger. It was early in the morning, the sun was low in the sky casting a pinkish orange glow across the horizon. In the dim light he saw the grey pelt of his mate through the nurseries entrance. Fogstar refused to sleep in her own den even though she was the leader. Apparently the nursery was going to waste. Losteye had tried to convince her otherwise, but to no avail. Instead he was left to dream of kits.

The black tom shook his head and went to inspect the fresh-kill pile. Pile, however was a generous name. A single mouse laid in the ditch dug to store the prey. Dawn patrol was supposed to return soon, Blackblaze, Rainpaw and Volefang. He hoped they had caught a satisfactory amount of prey. On que he saw the silver tabby apprentice bound through the entrance with a pair of mice in her jaws. Losteye had noticed that Rainpaw was turning out to be a fine hunter. He nodded his approval and watched as pride flashed in her misty blue gaze.

Blackblaze and Volefang returned a few moments later, dragging the weight of a rabbit between them. It was a beast of a rodent, almost the same size as a full grown warrior. Exactly what Losteye would expect from a rabbit caught in greenleaf. The two toms met his gaze briefly before lugging the rodent into the ditch and Rainpaw dropped in her pair of mice. Losteye scrutinized the pile for awhile and finally decided that it would do until the sunhigh patrol. "Good job," he murmured, nodding in turn to each of them.

Blackblaze flicked his tail, signalling he had heard the deputy and muttered something to Rainpaw. With the excited look in her eyes, the deputy guessed that he was taking his apprentice training.

Losteye was about to return to the warriors' den when he saw the fear in Volefang's amber eyes. "WeaselClan!" the mousy brown tom hissed, arching his back and narrowing his gaze at the entrance.

Blackblaze and Rainpaw stopped as the patrol of WeaselClan marched through the entrance guided by Snakeshiver. "They want to see Fogstar," she explained, looking a little worried.

Losteye recognised the small ginger tom at the front of the patrol, Emberstar. A growl rumbled in his throat. "You don't belong to RabbitClan anymore," he stated, hatred filling his tone.

"Is it so bad if I want to drop in on my little sister?" Emberstar asked in an innocent voice. Losteye hated the ties that Emberstar had to RabbitClan. The runt of a leader thought it allowed him to cross into their territory any time he wanted and Fogstar allowed it because he was her brother. His kits uncle.

"Why bring a patrol then?" Losteye challenged the tom, muscles tensing as he dared him to give a reason attack. Emberstar boiled his blood more than any other clan cat out there in the world.

"For my own protection of course. This is Smallstream and Cedarheart. They'll wait outside," Emberstar meowed, turning to his clan-mates and flicking his tail for them to leave. The warriors obeyed and padded out of the RabbitClan camp. Losteye signalled for Blackblaze and Rainpaw to follow with a nod and they did.

He hated allowing the ginger leader into their camp as it went against the warrior code, but his leader's word was law. Emberstar was welcome at any moment in time. His warriors however were not part of the deal. He was going to have words with his mate about that once her brother had left.

Fogstar appeared out of the nursery a few moments later as Volefang had woken her, the leader's stomach was well rounded with kits. "Emberstar," she purred a friendly greeting as if he was her clan-mate still. It made Losteye sick, but he put up with it because he loved her, no matter how foolish she was. She led the WeaselClan leader into her den, glaring at all the disapproving faces she was met with. Volefang shook his head once she had left. The young warrior looked like he was burning to say something, but he kept his jaw tightly shut. It seemed that Losteye wasn't the only one struggling to accept the arrangement.

The pair stayed in the den until sundown. Losteye hadn't removed himself from beside his mate's den, politely keeping his attention elsewhere while desiring to know what they were speaking about. Emberstar left the den, followed by Fogstar whose gaze was renewed with glee. "I'll see you tonight at the gathering," she meowed to her brother, touching her nose to his side. Emberstar nodded in turn and departed from the camp.

"I still believe he should be escorted of our land," Losteye told his mate, looking at her sternly. The first time he had brought it up she had been willing to listen to the his demands, but recently she had allowed the WeaselClan cats to come and go as they pleased.

"No. I've already told you I trust him with my life and my land," she hissed, eyes flashing with anger as she dared him to answer her back.

Losteye peeled his lips back in response and turned away from the difficult she-cat, catching the gaze of Volefang whose gaze reflected his own anger. Emberstar was driving a wedge between him and his mate.

He looked up at the sky which was almost as dark as his own fur. The full moon bathed the land in its holy light, reminding him of how close the gathering was.

Fogstar had already started to assemble the cats she had chosen to join her, Firestorm, Beetleshine, himself and Rainpaw. He followed at the very back of the group with Rainpaw as his leader led them out of camp. He found the youthful energy of the apprentice to be soothing. She asked him impossible questions as they walked on. Why was the sky blue? He really didn't know. He told her it was because StarClan wished it to be, but even he sometimes wondered if their power reached that far.

He was pretty calm when they reached the WeaselClan border which led to the four streams, a wet grassy area where the gatherings were held. That was until he saw Emberstar was awaiting them. His fur bristled in response and his claws unsheathed. He felt Rainpaw's tail touch his side in a comforting gesture. Losteye turned around and blinked in appreciation.

"I thought we could make the journey together," Emberstar purred sweetly to the gathered RabbitClan cats. Beside him stood Dawngaze, his deputy. She was a pretty she-cat, but in Losteye's opinion there wasn't much else to her other than that. She was as bright as a mouse. He also noticed that Smallstream, the cat who he had seen with Emberstar earlier in the day was with him also and a young ginger apprentice who was rather interested in Rainpaw.

The ginger apprentice padded over to her, waving her tail in greeting. "I'm Gingerpaw," she said rather brightly with a friendly look in her amber eyes.

Rainpaw was rather hesitant about speaking with another clan apprentice. She was withdrawn around others except those of her own clan, Losteye had observed. "Rainpaw," she murmured, looking in Losteye's direction.

The two clans began to pad beside each other as if they were one. Fogstar and Emberstar were at the head of the group, chattering like old friends. Losteye forced his attention elsewhere, watching Gingerpaw attempt to bring Rainpaw out of her shell. He noticed for a brief second that Dawngaze was desperately trying to get his attention. He curled his lips in disgust and finally acknowledged her. "Yes?" came his curt, but annoyed response.

"I think it's great that both our clans get on so well," the cream she-cat purred as she padded beside the black deputy. He imagined the same words coming out of someone like Gingerpaw's mouth. Too naive to notice the fault with the entire thought of it. It was against everything the clans stood for.

"Yeah, great," he muttered in disinterest which earned another purr from the WeaselClan deputy. Losteye groaned inwardly and drifted to Beetleshine's side. The black warrior was being silent as usual, letting his thoughtful amber gaze rest on the sibling leaders. Losteye couldn't tell whether he approved of the arrangement or not. He continued to walk silently beside Beetleshine, ignoring the burning anger in his stomach at the thought of Emberstar with Fogstar.

Losteye could hear the trickling of the intertwined streams as they neared the gathering point. He scented the air, FoxClan was already there and BadgerClan was approaching. He wondered what the other clans would make of RabbitClan arriving with WeaselClan. No doubt it would make things tense between the clans. They would be suspicious of alliances. Losteye could feel it in his bones. The other clans would not be happy.

He noticed a thick furred she-cat in the center of the gathered cats, Ferretstar he seemed to recall her name as. She was the leader of FoxClan, known for her sympathetic nature. Losteye found it a weakness to be known for such a feat. He would rather to be respected for his strength.

The black deputy made his way over to the deputies, Lionscar, Dawngaze and Skyspirit. He nodded respectfully to Lionscar and Skyspirit, promptly ignoring Dawngaze as he felt she didn't deserve her position. She didn't seem to notice his coldness and nodded back in response.

As bright as a mouse

The four leaders each in turn nodded to one and other. Losteye noticed the hostility that Ferretstar and Whitestar bore against his mate and her brother. They were going to ask why they arrived together.

"RabbitClan and WeaselClan arrived together.." Ferretstar meowed, gaze shifting from Emberstar to Fogstar. The leader's amber gaze was cold.

"We met with them on our border. Safety in numbers as they say," Emberstar replied as calmly and sweetly as he usually did. Losteye saw the cool confidence in eyes and fought back a growl.

Whitestar's fur bristled, "You are allied with them!" he hissed in accusation, anger burned in his green eyes. He wasn't going to listen to any of Emberstar's smooth talk. The BadgerClan leader was as wise as the lumbering animal his clan was named for.

"No.." Fogstar started to say, but she winced and shrank back. Losteye's jaw parted in worry and he was about to step forward and help her, but Emberstar blocked his path.

"She's kitting!" The ginger leader exclaimed, dashing to her side and licking her ears, making comforting meows. She winced in response and laid down, wide eyes looking up at her brother.

Losteye watched in disbelief. His mate was having his kits right in the middle of a gathering. He approached her hesitantly as he saw no sign in her gaze that she wanted him close. Instead she looked angered and her gaze was pointed in his direction. He looked away, eye narrowed in confusion.

Goldenheart, the FoxClan medicine cat pushed his way through the crowd, hissing at anyone who got in his way. "Mind out of the way!" he growled at Rainpaw who scurried out of the line of fire.

Whitestar and Ferretstar were shocked into silence. Losteye would have cracked a joke about Fogstar making the right call for once by having kits, diverting their attention from the speculated alliance. Except he wasn't that sort of that. It was more Emberstar's style to make light of a serious situation. Losteye knew the tom better than his own clan did as they had been apprenticed together. He, Fogpaw and Emberpaw.

"That's it. Breath.. slowly.. no not too slow," he heard Goldenheart's soft mews as he helped deliver his kits. Losteye finally worked up the courage to approach his mate, shouldering past Emberstar in the process. Fogstar didn't notice his presence, she was too busy furiously licking their first newborn. A little black tom like himself. He suppressed a purr as Fogstar flinched once more, another wave of pain passing though her body. Two more kittens were born A grey tom like his mother and last, but not least a ginger tabby tom just like Emberstar. He blanked out the connection, too proud of his family to care that was until Fogstar named her kits, "Oynxkit, Stormkit and Emberkit," Losteye wasn't given a say in what they were named.

The other leaders were quite eager to continue with the gathering until Goldenheart said his piece. "She's exhausted you selfish lumps! Crawl back to your camps!" he hissed, bristling his fur as he stalked back to Ferretstar and the rest of FoxClan.

The clans dispersed, seeing no reason to argue with the medicine cat. Losteye attempted to take one of his kits, but Fogstar hissed at him. Apparently she hadn't forgiven him for suggesting an escort for her precious Emberstar. He backed away, hurt and offended by her behaviour.

We had kits. Surely things are different now?

He followed his clan, veering toward the back of the group. Rainpaw walked with him, unable to keep the sympathy out of her misty blue gaze. "She shouldn't treat you like that," she murmured, looking hesitant to be speaking so directly about her leader. Losteye didn't respond, instead he watched in anger as she allowed Emberstar to help her with the kits.

When they made it back to camp Emberstar and Fogstar went directly into the leader's den with their kits. Losteye did something he had never done before, stormed into the den without permission. "This is stupid! I'm their father! Not him," he growled, shaking with rage.

Fogstar looked alarmed and she curled her tail around their kits protectively. "Losteye.. not now," she sighed, looking tired.

Emberstar positioned himself between the pair as if daring Losteye to get any closer. "Leave her. Can't you see she's tired?" he meowed, no doubt taking great pleasure it causing the rift between them to grow.

"Emberstar.. just go," Fogstar sighed, finally noticing that his interference wasn't wanted. The ginger tom nodded and left them both alone. Silence grew instead of conversation. She refused to look him in the eye as if she was too ashamed.

"Fogstar?" Losteye meowed, wanting her to at least acknowledge his presence instead of the cold silence that drove them apart.

"I'm sorry.. okay? You got me mad because I know you don't trust him. I wanted to punish you," the grey she-cat admitted, looking gravely ashamed. "So I named the kits and ...Emberstar helped instead."

"Then let me name one. Emberkit?" Losteye suggested, turning his gaze to their ginger son. He deserved a better name than the weasely leader he was named after.

Fogstar nodded her head which earned a sigh of relief from the deputy. "How about Goldenkit? I know he's not exactly golden, but I'm sure he will be a shining example to the clan and we owe that medicine cat," Losteye suggested, settling down beside his mate.

"Goldenkit, the shining example," she purred, looking down at the kitten formerly known as Emberkit.

His mate spent most of the night apologising for her petty behaviour, but Losteye refused to listen to her as he had already accepted her first one. "Seriously it's fine," he purred, reaching down to lick Goldenkit. His Goldenkit, not Emberkit. Stormkit and Oynxkit were as precious to him, but he felt a special vibe from his small ginger tabby son. Like his words were true. The shining example.

He slept peacefully beside his mate in the leader's that night, occasionally waking when his sons were mewling out of hunger. When dawn arrived he slipped outside to sort the patrols. He sent Beetleshine and Snakeshiver out on dawn patrol and decided to let Rainpaw and Blackblaze take the sun high one.

He knew Rainpaw wasn't far off being a warrior so he knew she could handle a patrol with her mentor.

Losteye would be left in camp with Volefang and Firestorm. He was going to take them out for the dusk patrol once the time came. He ordered for all the borders to be remarked and checked for unusual scents, regretfully he had to add for WeaselClan's scent not to be counted. He wondered when Emberstar would return, the thought of him was like walking on thistles. Painful and unpleasant.

Losteye pricked his ears when he heard squeals coming from inside the leader's den. His kits were playing, he decided with a purr. He padded back inside and saw Oynxkit hissing at Stormkit. "My Mum!" he growled defensively. Goldenkit was cuddling up near Fogstar, oblivious to his brother's squabbles. Fogstar picked them both up by their scuffs and placed them near Goldenkit. "Stop fighting. I'm a mother to both of you," she told them. That settled the matter as Oynxkit settled down without a problem. Stormkit however was interested in his father's tail. "Lookee at this big snakey," the small grey kitten purred, patting at it with a forepaw.

Later he led his kits to meet RabbitClan's oldest cat and his once mentor Patchedfur. The old brown she-cat was resting near the fresh-kill pile, enjoying the sunshine. Good for her old bones she always said.

"This is Patchedfur, she mentored me when I was an apprentice," he explained to his kits, giving her a respectful nod. "Evenin' Patches," Onyxkit piped up, looking up at the elder intently.

"Patchedfur," Losteye corrected his son, Stormkit and Goldenkit both dipped their heads to the elderly cat just as he had done. Oynxkit didn't, he was more interested in the returning patrol.

"He's just like you. A head full of bees," Patchedfur purred, nodding to the little black kit.

"I know. I was always distracted, either fighting with Emberpaw or trying to win Fogpaw's attention," he mrrowed in laughter, hoping Oynxkit would at least be slightly more responsible that his father.


End file.
